Persona A: Fates of the Just
by Ohatsu
Summary: Set in modern day North America, a young adult awakens to mysterious powers after making a discovery following a series of tragic events. With the assistance of a strange, long nosed man, he finds himself returning to the scene of his discovery to find out just why everything is happening.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello people. This is an idea that had been on my brain for a while and I've been working on it for a while now. The main problem I thought was that, just how Persona games start out slow, this story will also start pretty slowly. This first chapter is mainly an introduction and I tried to keep it how a Persona game would go. (Even the name, I tried to keep how a game would behave with it.)**

 **Anyway, please enjoy this slower chapter.**

* * *

"You're going to like the area. It's nice and quiet, a better place to raise a family one day."

"Not like I really have a say right now. You guys need me, I bet. It'd be too quiet alone," I said, staring away from the window. The woman beside me, my sister, continued driving but flashed a smirk. "Plus there'd better not be a family anytime soon."

"I mean… I think we could survive without you," she began, flashing a smug grin while fixing her sunglasses. It was her first time driving today since I was exhausted. "I can't wait to see them again…"

My phone remained silent like usual but I unlocked it and began to look through a random app. My sister sighed and I quickly put it away.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to dampen the mood. I'm doing my best, you know," she said. I nodded.

"It's still bullshit though…" I began, leaning against the cold door. I saw her smile fade and I tried to change the subject. "I get cranky when I'm tired… Especially when our new roommate didn't bother to help much."

"Don't be that way. He's helped us more than he ever had to. Just give it the year; things will be back to normal before you know it… Just don't get in trouble at work," she said, smiling. I nodded with a smile, closing my eyes.

* * *

After hours of unloading the truck for the last time, I crashed onto the couch. My arms were a bit sore but it wasn't anything too bad. I nodded out of habit as I held my phone at my ear.

"Yeah, I'll be there… alright, see you tomorrow. Thank you," I said, as the call ended.

"Who was that? Your new boss?" my sister said, handing me a paper plate and placing a bottle down before sitting down beside me.

"Yeah, just confirming I can go tomorrow to fill out some paperwork," I said, looking around. "Heh… I never expected you to be a homeowner, Steph. It's great though."

"Right? It's so calm around here compared to where we grew up," Steph said, staring forward. She raised a glass of wine and raised a toast. "To a new chapter."

"A new chapter?... Sounds like an excuse for you to drink," I said, raising my bottled water up towards her glass. "Hard to think you're educating the future minds of America."

We spent almost a half hour joking around like we had all our lives. Eventually, the front door opened and he walked in. Steph stood up and headed towards him as I sat forward.

"Hey guys, sorry I couldn't help much. Brought some dessert though," he said, looking around. "It's so much roomier than I remember, even with all the boxes."

"How was work?" Steph said, giving him a quick kiss. She grabbed the box of cookies. "We got pizza, I'll grab you a plate."

"Work was good. New city, same problems to solve," he said, sitting on an adjacent couch. "Thanks for doing everything. It's easier for you to get a day off than me. There's already some scandal we have to deal with. It's weird how some people snap so suddenly."

"It's fine, I live here too, after all," I said, standing up. "I have to be at work at 8, I'm gonna get to bed."

"What? My brother sleeping before midnight?" Steph said, as I nodded. She sat beside him as I grabbed my bottle.

"A long day of filling out forms, I don't know how people can do that," I said, waving slowly. The man beside her laughed.

"You get used to it," he said, grinning. "I'll probably be up around then, do you want some coffee?"

"Uhh… Sure," I said, walking away. I faked a yawn. "Just black is fine. 'Night guys."

My room was just like the rest of the house; covered in brown boxes aside from the small, twin size bed I had. I plopped down onto the bed and sighed.

"A whole year with him here, huh…" I said to myself. I tossed my bottle in the air and caught it. I closed my eyes.

"Whatever, I'll survive…"

* * *

" _Does everything truly seem right?"_

I looked around the empty area. I walked forward slowly.

"Where am I…"

" _You've seen it, haven't you?"_

A small table with a glass ball came into sight. As I approached it, the ball filled itself with dark clouds. I reached out for it but my hand stopped against a glass wall. A man sat behind a desk a little to the side. He looked normal enough aside from his strange, long nose

"My, it's been quite a while since I've had a guest. Welcome to the Velvet Room," the man said. He moved his hand outwards in a sweeping motion. "Please, take a seat. Our time is limited."

"What is this? Where am I?" I said, sitting down across the table with the glass ball.

"This place exists between reality and dreams, between mind and matter. You're safely asleep in your world but alas, none have come here that haven't had an important journey ahead of them," he said. He blinked his wide, bulging eyes before continuing his speech. "I am Igor, proprietor of this room. Do you think about what you can control in your world? Are you meant to be a mere pawn in the game of life?"

"I… I don't understand," I began, holding my head.

"Time surely flies in human dreams… It truly fascinates me… Heed my words for now. We will speak again soon."

* * *

My phone rang. I jolted up in a cold sweat as I heard a knock on my door. I wiped my face with the front of my shirt.

"Come in," I said, as I swung myself to the side of my bed. My sister walked in, holding a cup of coffee. She sat beside me. "Hey, you're up early."

"I'm the only one that doesn't have to work today so I wanted to see you guys off," she said, handing me the cup. "Plus I know that you say you like coffee black to sound manly but you drink it sweeter than I do."

"Thanks," I said, grinning. I struggled to keep my eyes open. It felt like I didn't sleep at all, let alone 7 hours. I stared into the beige cup with the intent to drink it for its caffeine rather than taste. "Hey, any chance you could iron my shirt?"

"Sure, go take a shower. Were you that hot last night? You're drenched," she said, standing up. I did the same, while opening the box with most of my clothes. "Probably some box could be blocking the AC vent, it's kinda warm now that I think of it. Black or red today?"

"Black," I said, tossing her the black uniform. I grabbed a random t-shirt, underwear, and my work pants. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," she said, with a warm smile.

We both headed out the door as I sipped on the hot cup of coffee. I stopped short as she continued to the kitchen. She sat beside him at the granite counter, where he was drinking his own coffee and nibbling on some sort of croissant or something, I wasn't sure. He gave me a wave with his occupied hand.

"Hey, aren't you going to be late?" he said, looking back down at his phone.

"No. I'm not even working today, payroll starts on Mondays," I said, opening the bathroom door. "I gotta shower, see ya if you have to go."

"Yeah, I should get going," he said, kissing my sister. He looked at me for a second before heading towards the door. "Can you start parking on the grass? We'd look bad heading to work with dirty cars."

The door closed behind him and I rubbed my forehead, throwing my clothes onto the sink. I went into the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. I forced a smile to my face; for her, I would.

* * *

I opened my eyes and turned the car off. I looked around at the few cars in the parking lot of my new coworkers and employees. An older woman walked towards the building as the time neared 8 in the morning. I had a message from Steph but I locked my phone and began walking towards the building. I managed to catch the door swinging shut as a boy with a mop bucket looked at me in confusion.

"Hey, I'm supposed to see Bob?... Is he here?" I asked, closing the door behind me. The boy nodded and waved me to follow.

"You're the new manager? Not what I imagined," he said, as we walked. He seemed nice enough. He stopped at a door. "Hey Bob, new guy's here."

"Hello sir, how was your move?" The older man said, standing up. He shook my hand and disappeared for a second, bringing me a fold out chair. "Take a seat, I'll try to make this quick for the both of us."

He moved the mouse around and handed my the keyboard.

"Just need you to fill out the last parts. This is our transfer form for our district and we just need new addresses and things like that," he began. I began typing. "I heard good things about you from your old boss. We have a few assistant managers here so you won't have as many duties but we also have a lot more customers daily than you guys did. She did tell me you had a name you like to be called?"

"Uhh… Just Riley. I prefer that," I said, as he nodded. "She told me. You guys make double what we make each day. Thank you for taking me in as an RM."

"My boss wasn't too happy for me to take in another but eh, screw her. Ana highly recommended you, said you're a hard worker who knows our systems and upholds them," Bob said, with a smile. "Your situation isn't the best from what I've heard but I will do my best to help you out… As long as you understand how we work."

"I understand. I will do my best. I think I'm done," I said, reading over the form. "When do I come in tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow… Come in at 12. That way you get to experience both shifts. I will have the rest of your schedule by then. Any requests for days off?" he asked.

"Either weekend day. Whenever possible, I don't mind. My sister is a teacher so it's the only time we have to spend time together," I said, looking around. "But I don't mind. Just whenever it can happen."

"I will do my best. Well, that's really all I need from ya today. Sorry we can't bring you in today, I hope you don't live too far from here," he said, as he extended his hand again.

"I live like, 10 minutes away, it wasn't too bad. I'll see you tomorrow then," I said, shaking his hand again. I grabbed my keys and stood up.

"One last thing," he said, as I turned back around. He tossed me something. "Probably want keys, right?"

"Keys would help, yeah," I said, putting the set in my pocket.

* * *

"So how's your new boss?" Steph said, sitting beside me. We were taking a break after setting up most of the living room. I shrugged.

"Seemed nice. Older guy who apparently stresses our district manager out with his custom rules. Does teaching summer school suck?" I asked her. She shrugged as well, raising her legs onto the couch.

"Yeah… But at least it's paid and it guarantees my job there," she said. "Remember what Nate said about that scandal he was dealing with?"

"That's good though. Who actually wants to be a teacher?" I joked. She raised her cup with a smile. I stood up and moved towards the kitchen counters. "What about it? Hey, do you want the pantry how we used to have it?"

"There's nothing wrong with teaching," she said, yawning and nodding to my question. "I just heard about it online. A guy running for office was caught with a gun as he entered his office building. Apparently that ruined his chances while he goes on trial."

"Take a nap, I'll finish up. I'll probably work on my room when he gets home," I said, as she lowered her head. I began unpacking a box of dry and canned foods. "At least no one got hurt."

I started putting the items how we had them a few months ago. I slowed down after a few items and donned a faint smile.

"Remember how Mom used to make us finish our cereal if we accidentally left the box open and it got all stale? Can't believe someone would make me hate sugary cereal…" I said. I looked over the counter. "Steph?"

After opening a box from her room, I came back towards the sofa and placed the blanket over her. Her room was almost completely set up. It made sense she'd be sleepy still. I headed back to the kitchen but turned back when I heard rustling.

"Yeah… I remember."

* * *

I spent the next couple hours getting my room together. While I very willingly downgraded to a simple twin sized bed, I liked the setup better now. I sat on my bed and turn on my TV for some idle noise.

'Is it pathetic I only have my sister to talk to now?' I thought to myself. I laid back and stared at my phone. I had a few texts from my parents that I put off replying and usually forget until Steph reminds me. I was terrible at reply to people in the first place. I gripped my phone tightly and closed my eyes for a bit.

The scenario never stopped haunting me.

...

I have no idea how long my eyes were closed. Someone knocked on my door.

"Hey, I made you some dinner," Steph's voice said, muffled through the door.

"I'll be right there," I said, standing up. She mentioned we could be on our own for dinner but I never expected my sister to cook… I opened my door. "Sorry, must've fell asleep."

"It looks nice in here," she said, stepping in. She held a plate and a bottle of water. It smelled good but it smelled different, that was for sure. She noticed me staring and her eyes brightened. "I tried making curry. I thought it came out good… I read that it goes well with coffee too, if you want me to make you some."

"Uhhh… no thanks... that sounds pretty gross, to be honest. I'll be alright, I shouldn't stay up too late tonight," I said, grabbing the plate. We both sat on my small bed and giggled before taking out her phone, quickly taking a picture of me holding the plate. "What the heck?"

"Mom wants pictures of her son, you know. You rarely take any so the responsibility falls on me," she said, with a smile. She began typing a long text as I began eating. "Is it good?"

I nodded with a mouthful. She smiled, resting her back against the wall. It was good; the coffee idea sounded insane… people actually ate this with bitter coffee? I guess I'll never truly be a food expert.

"When do you start work?" She asked me.

"Tomorrow at 12. Isn't tomorrow your paper work day?" I asked her. She nodded and moved closer to me.

"Except mine will be a little longer than yours. Now smile," she said, holding her phone out and taking another picture.

"You are so annoying." I said… But with a smile.

* * *

As I walked into the restaurant, almost every employee stared at me. It felt like being a new kid in school except if the new kid was going to be your boss. Bob met me at the front register.

"Good morning, Mister Riley," he said. He told me to place my thumb on the finger scanner and registered me. "In a little, I'll raise your access level so you can do what I pay you to do."

"Cool, where do you want me?" I asked, as he led me through the store. He introduced me to a few people as he showed me where some important stuff was located. He gave me a slip of paper as we returned to the middle of store.

"Those are your codes. The 4 digits are for the alarm, the 8 digit code is for our safe, try to remember them and get rid of that paper. Your accounts for inventory and the registers are still the same except they won't work at your old store if you ever need to go back," Bob said. He handed me a laminated sheet. "We usually keep the daily plan here; I will have you coordinating for the drive thru for the day. I want to see what you're capable of."

"Alright, sounds good," I said, putting one of the headsets on.

The store ran the same as I was used to aside from bigger orders. The morning employees were usually faster so everything ran smoothly. Whenever something was incorrect, I caught it and quickly fixed it. My new boss seemed content with me so far. This job wasn't rocket science but it took awareness and patience, which I learned to have over the years.

Once three o'clock came around, the openers left and I was moved to work the grill. As it was slower, one of the other managers finally spoke to me.

"Hey, how is it so far? You're an RM, right?" the blond boy said, as he continued to work. I nodded as I checked around for what I needed to cook.

"Yeah, I got promoted a bit ago. I barely learned to take inventory before I had to leave," I said, as he nodded in understanding.

"I bet the district manager wasn't too happy about that. We have so many RMs now," he said. "Did you get to many any other managers?"

"No, just Bob and you," I said as he stood beside me and put a pair of gloves on. "You're making sandwiches?"

"Do I seem slow? I'm not that bad," he said, with a smirk. "My name's Justin. You probably won't need to do inventory much. You'll meet Deivon tonight, he's Bob's right hand man; him and I usually split the month."

"Bob said he might bring me on once a month. Not that I look forward to waking up so early," I said. We both worked idly and quickly as we talked. "Who else is there?"

"There's Rachel and Diana. They're our shift supervisors. Diana was an RM but she stepped down a while ago when she went back to school. Aside from us, there's Diane who's another RM," he said. "It's nice to finally have someone I can relate with."

"What? Everyone else is old?" I asked. He stared at me in confusion. "Like… Way older than 22?"

"Not really. Seems like you're right in the middle," he explained. "Just interests-wise. You just seem like a video game and puns guy."

"Well, I get mad at bad puns but I do play video games…"

"Well, guess we'll half get along then," he said, with a smile.

* * *

Closer to five o'clock, my boss came and handed me a sheet of paper. My eyes scanned it as he spoke.

"Tomorrow, I need you to close with Rachel. She's fresh off of training so I want someone to make sure she is alright," he began. I nodded. "Plus, it'll let you see how the late night runs."

"Alright, no problem," I said, nodding. He gave a wave to the remaining people and said his goodbyes.

I was left as the only manager until another boy my age came inside and clocked himself in. I walked over towards him.

"Hey, you're the new guy? Name's Deivon," he said, shaking my hand. A bit formal but I nodded. "Bob told me a bit about your situation. Everybody's pretty chill here, I don't think you'll have any problem once you learn where everything is."

"Yeah, that's the hardest part of going anywhere new," I said, as he began to walk away.

"Hey, can you clock them in while I go count the safe?" he asked, as a few crew members walked my way.

I nodded and waited. Most people showed up on time and I introduced myself. Most seemed to have heard about me. The last person showed up a few minutes after 5; she placed her thumb on the scanner.

"New guy, right?" she asked. I nodded and authorized her clock in. "Cool. I'm Camille. Bob asked me to babysit you."

"Really? He never said anything about a babysitter," I said, as we walked towards the back. Deivon stopped me once we passed the door. "Verify?"

"Yeah. So, how you liking this area? Must be pretty boring compared to where you used to live," He asked. I shrugged and nodded.

"I guess. We just moved here yesterday. I haven't gotten a chance to see anything. My sister says it's calm," I said, signing the paper with the shift change as a witness. "Hey, no offense but how old are you?"

"I get that alot. 21," he said, as the girl from earlier stood by the door.

"Justin said I'd be around the middle… When he said you're Bob's right hand guy, I expect some older guy," I said, as he laughed.

"Nope, just some wannabe Miami thug who lives with his mommy," Camille said, with a smirk. I stifled my chuckle.

"Oh, it's gonna be one of those days with your sarcastic ass," he said, tipping her black visor down slightly. "You're here till 10 today?"

"Yeah, I close tomorrow. Someone just wants me to live here," she said, looking up at Deivon and then at me. "So are you gonna help or just sit in the office?"

"It's too early. Maybe tomorrow I'll get to know the office more," I said. I turned back to Deivon. "Imma get back out there."

"I'll be there in a sec, let me just get myself organized, I can't work in this clutter," he said, sitting down on the chair.

Camille and I walked towards the center of the restaurant again. She took her place in the front counter as I moved back towards the drive thru. Some people stared at us with varied stares. I grabbed a paper bag and began taking the reins again, despite most of these new people not even knowing my name.

* * *

Another 5 hours later, I said my goodbyes to my fellow manager looked around. I checked to make sure the doors were locked and called my sister as I went out the front door. I stood around the front area and asked Steph if she needed anything while I was out just as I had everyday since I got a job and car. Once I hung up, I heard a familiar voice coming from behind me.

"Aren't you a good son?" Camille said. I turned to face her as she took out her own phone.

"Brother," I corrected her. "Waiting for your ride?"

"No. I walk home," she said, stretching her arms.

"Do you want a ride?" I asked, she looked at me strangely. She laughed.

"Man, I like you. It took Justin like, two months to finally ignore that rule," she said. She nodded. "Thanks, new guy. I really appreciate it."

"No problem, no one wants to walk after working anyway," I said. She took of her visor, reminding me that employees don't have permanent pony tails. "Just don't tell the district manager, I don't need to piss her off anymore."

"No one needs that," she said, as we walked to my car. I unlocked the door and she got in quickly. "I didn't expect you to be a Mercedes kinda guy. I guess managers do make the bit bucks."

"Yeah, maybe sixty promotions later, I'll be able to buy one from this millenium too," I said, smirking. "Sorry about the mess, crap from my sister's boxes from the move."

"Oh, I was wondering why there was a random pair of panties…" she said, laughing. She was… Something else. "You're closing with Rachel tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, why?" I asked, beginning to drive. She shrugged, yawning as she covered her gray eyes from an oncoming car's high beams. "The hell?"

"We can do this again tomorrow. I close 4 times a week and throw in a 5 to 10 to get 40 hours," she said, brightly. She looked out the window so all I could really see was her black hair in front of darkness. "If you don't mind, that is."

"Sure, I won't make you walk home at 1:30 in the morning."

"Good, at least you kinda care."

We continued making small talk as I followed her confusing directions to her house before heading home.

* * *

 **c:**


	2. Chapter 2

" _This place again? The… Velvet…?"_

I walked through the darkness and eventually found the glass wall. I sat across the orb, which quickly filled itself with dark clouds again. I attempted to reach out towards it until I was stopped by the glass.

"Hello?"

No response.

I sat patiently for what seemed like half an hour until my head began to hurt slightly. I raised a hand to my head as the clouds inside the glass began to churn violently. I began to hear muffled voices, followed by yells and shrieks and, finally, a few loud bangs. I couldn't make out what it was.

"Will you risk yourself to mend the problems of others?" a vaguely familiar voice said. My headache worsened. "Or do you believe you're fated to simply live and die?"

* * *

I groggily walked to the kitchen, holding my phone as I opened the fridge. I grabbed a carton of orange juice and looked around before drinking from the carton itself. I heard a noise and quickly put it back, staring at my phone as my sister's husband sat on the island counter.

"Morning," I said. It was almost 1 in the afternoon, I prepare for a passive aggressive speech about my laziness.

"Hey, already got a day off?" he asked, opening up his laptop. I shook my head. "Closing then?"

"Yeah. Already babysitting a new manager," I said, opening the pantry. "How's that scandal you mentioned?"

"Oh, I didn't think you heard me," he said, typing away at something. "Getting caught was a dumb move. He acted like he didn't know about metal detectors and almost shot at a security guard when they tried to apprehend him. He was leading the polls too and apparently he was very passionate about the city yet he almost opened fire on its own citizens. Shit makes zero sense."

"None of that sounds right. Maybe he was threatened by someone?" I asked, pulling out a box of cereal from the pantry. I raised it over my head until the sugary goodness came in contact with my taste buds. His sharp blue eyes peeked at me over the laptop.

"You expect me to believe you're certified in food safety when you act like that?" he sighed. "Either way, it's not my job to be the hero. I help who I was assigned to help."

"I suppose that's the world of politics, right?" I asked, walking towards my room. "This is my cereal anyway, you both hate it and I paid for it. Refer to the expiration date three years from now of food safety for any other questions."

"Fair enough," he chuckled. He fixed his glasses and continued with his work.

My room ended up looking much better than I had thought. I didn't have much after donating what I didn't wear beside my computer, its desk, my bed, tv and games. Most of my clothes fit in a single large box and ended up in a plastic bin I used as a nightstand for my phone and charger. I sat on my bed and replied to my texts.

"Hey, don't kill each other while I'm gone. I'll leave you something for when you get back."

I replied to Steph and laid back on my bed. My phone began to rang. I didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?" I said. A familiar voice spoke back.

"Hey manager, it's me," Camille said. "Bet you didn't save my number so texting would've taken forever."

"Wow, you're good. I probably wouldn't even reply to a random hey," I said, sitting up. "What's up?"

"Crap, I didn't plan this far ahead. Let's go get married?" she said. I shrugged, even though she couldn't see it.

"Sure, why not?" I responded.

"Want to hang out before work? I can show you a cool place nearby!" she said. She must be bored. This goes against the rules I agreed to but…

"Sure, I can go whenever," I said, standing up. I grabbed my clothes and both sets of keys as she responded. "Text me your address."

"You literally took me there last night," she said, sarcastically.

"Yeah, and I definitely remember the streets with my 72 hours of living here," I began, with a smirk. "I'll see you soon."

I passed by the living room again and he turned to me slightly.

"Thought you went in at 5?" he asked me. I nodded.

"Going out till then. Text me if you guys need anything," I said, waving slightly. He did the same and returned to his work.

"Be careful, your know sister hates seeing you out so late," he said, returning to his computer.

* * *

After a quick 15 minute drive, the black haired girl got into the car and threw a shirt towards the backseat. She waved to me in her black work pants and a graphic t-shirt our company gave out to promote a salad.

"Were you really this bored?" she asked me. I nodded. "I even dressed up for you."

"I just woke up. You're the one who called," I retorted. She nodded slowly. "I see that. You look incredible."

"You're right about both. You look like you just woke up. Bet you're a mess without your sister," she said. I smirked.

"Maybe. Where are we going?" I asked, heading back towards the main road.

"Downtown. Well, it's a tiny downtown but it's still nice. It's a few minutes from work," she said. She fidgeted in her seat. "Leather seats are so hot, why did you get this?"

"I'm sorry, you can just walk there and I'll meet up with you," I said. She crossed her arms with a smirk.

"Okay, you got me there," she said.

We kept driving in silence, only speaking when she would tell me to turn. It really was close so we made it relatively soon. It was about two o'clock so we had almost three hours to kill. She told me to park in a nearby supermarket to avoid the crowded parking spots. She walked over to me as I locked the car.

"Hungry?"

After lengthy bickering about how I didn't like sushi, we decided on grill place around the main square of the plaza. We were quickly seated, got our drinks, and ordered. She stared at me intently.

"So, what's your story, new kid?" she asked me. She stirred her soda with her straw.

"Aren't I your boss?" I asked. She shrugged with a faint smirk. "I don't have a story. I'm just working to pay bills like everyone else."

"I don't believe that. I heard stuff about you but I'm not one to assume rumors," she said, sipping her soda.

"Rumors can come true with enough persistence sometimes," I said. I toyed with my phone for a second. Her words interested me. "What did you hear?"

"You moved here to live with your sister. Your parents aren't here and you took a promotion because of that," she began. She stirred her straw again. "That much is true. What are the reasons?"

"Government, I guess. Things happened that were out of our control," I said. I sighed before continuing. "We gotta follow the rules, right?"

"Thought you were flexible on rules, though?" she said, smiling. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be here with me, would you?"

"Yeah but those rules are within my control," I said, as the waiter brought our food. "Thanks."

"I don't want to pry. If you want to tell me, I'll listen," she said, beginning to eat.

"Maybe someday. I don't really love talking about it," I said, doing the same.

"You're pretty fortunate. Meeting someone like me on your first day of work, huh?"

I smiled; we continued eating in silence.

* * *

Nothing too eventful happened throughout the rest of the day. It was one in the morning and I stood in the office while the other manager, Rachel, began doing her paper work. Since I was mostly here to make sure she was alright, I let her do the work and answered whatever questions she had. She stared at the computer and sighed in frustration. I grabbed a clipboard, showing her the mistake.

"Look, they had an extra box of fries. Whoever did this counted wrong. Either way, just be honest on these so the inventory on Monday isn't a total pain," I said, pointing at the paper. She nodded.

"The stores they send you to train at are so much smaller so there's never any problems with the counts," she said. I nodded in agreement. "Sorry if I'm being a pain."

"It's fine. It's better to get in good habits," I said. I grabbed my empty cup. "I'm gonna check on the rest of the kids."

"I'm pretty sure I'm the youngest here…" she said. I stopped at the door for a second.

"Well, I already checked up on you, didn't I?" I asked before heading out.

The three other employees were doing their usual routines. The boss had mentioned everyone tonight was pretty experienced so I shouldn't have any problem aside from just being bored. I got some more water and looked out the window at the empty streets. Once I took a sip, sarcasm hit me.

"Seriously? My fingers look like I'm eighty and you're just staring out the window?" Camille asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, and I get to get paid more to do it. Nothing new," I answered. I walked back with her. "We almost done?"

"Yeah, we're waiting mostly on Rachel. We can start cleaning early but she can't do her computer work till a certain time," she said. She bent over quickly to start draining the sink.

"Eh, she'll learn," I said. "I made everyone wait for my slowness the first week."

"Is that another flexible rule?" she asked, smirking. I nodded. "You're terrible."

"What? You start to get a bit desensitized after being a manager for a bit. At least, I did," I said, yawning. "Like yeah, the GM will yell at you but I don't really want to be here over 50 hours to get yelled at for that."

"That's one way of looking at it. Maybe you should leave on time," she said, jokingly. She came with me into the office.

"Need anything? Everyone is pretty much ready," I said. She handed me the envelope with all the receipts and I signed as her witness. After that, she stood up and grabbed her keys.

"Nope, I'm ready," she said, looking at the time. "And it's not even that late, guess I did okay."

"I mean, you had the best showing you the ropes. A GM isn't gonna show you easy ways like we would," I said. Camille crossed her arms. I raised a finger to my lips. "Just… Don't tell him I said that."

"That's probably a bullshit excuse you use when you the district manager yells at you," she said. I stared at her in confusion. "Whatever. Let's go home, I'm tired."

"Tired of what? Doing dishes?" I teased. She hit my arm. Rachel turned off the final lights and stood by the alarm while I spoke loudly. "Ok, let's go home."

The other two employees came towards the front with us. We all clocked out and Rachel set the alarm, giving us almost two minutes to just leave.

Once we got outside, everyone went to their cars and Camille and I stood by mine. I unlocked the door and unbuttoned my shirt before getting inside. She yawned and looked over at me.

"How did you like it? It was pretty slow today," she asked me. I shrugged.

"I've been warned about Saturdays so I'll give you my answer then," I said, starting to drive.

"You're off tomorrow, right?" she asked.

"I… Think so. Why?" I asked. She leaned back.

"Want to do something?" she asked.

"Isn't it a bit weird for us to hang out?" I asked. She nodded.

"Rumors would spread. I don't need anymore of those going around," she said. She looked around. "You don't know where you're going, do you?"

"Hell no. It's so dark, I can barely see the signs," I said. I let our previous conversation go, I felt she didn't want to speak about it.

"Does this old car even have high beams?" she asked, half jokingly. I looked beyond the steering wheel. "Are… you're not seriously looking, are you?"

"We don't need them. This car has never steered my family wrong," I said. She sighed at the unintentional pun. She turned her head.

"You missed my street," she said. I went to make a U-turn but she stopped me. "It's a grid, just make the next left, it'll be easier."

I made the first left I could. I didn't even see a street sign but if it was a grid, it should connect… the road became almost pitch black. I looked at Camille.

"Uhhh… are these streets usually this dark?" I asked. She shook her head. My head felt light as the speedometer rose quickly. "What the…?"

"Slow down, you're trying to get us killed?" she asked loudly. I shook my head and clutched it after.

"Augh...I'm not doing anything, hold on," I said, grabbing the wheel tightly. She grabbed my hand.

"Does this thing have airbags?" she asked. I blinked a few times.

"Yeah, probably."

* * *

My eyes opened slowly as a pounding headache seemed to want me to keep them closed. I raised my heavy head and saw the street in front of me lit in a dull yellow light. I looked at my side and shook the girl.

"Camille, wake up!" I said. Her eyes slowly opened and she slapped me, sitting up angrily.

"You jackass, what kind of joke was that?!" she angrily asked. I touched my stinging cheek.

"That wasn't a joke! Where are we?" I asked, as she looked around. "This street is pretty bright compared to where we were."

"No kidding. Let's look around," she said, opening the door. I grabbed her arm.

"What the hell? Haven't you seen horror movies, that's exactly how the stupid teenagers die in the first place," I said, quietly. I stared at my phone. "I don't get any signal here either."

"Well, start the car then," she said, sitting back down. As I moved my hand to the ignition, she pointed forward. "Look… someone's there."

"Probably some weirdo walking around. Let's go," I said, as she opened the door and stepped out. I sighed. I opened the glove compartment and grabbed a small knife. "Camille, wait."

"I recognize them… Somehow," she said, staring down at the knife. "Were you going to murder me?"

"What? Shut up. I wasn't about to close all the time where I'm from without something just in case," I said, pocketing the weapon. "Just stay near me, alright? I'd hate to deal with the consequences if you went missing."

"Awww, you do care… Kinda," she said, grabbing my hand. "Let's go."

We walked slowly. I kept looking at every house with the worst scenarios every time. None were correct but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I finally spoke up.

"What do you mean you recognize them?" I said. She shrugged but didn't let my hand go. "Are you scared of the dark or something?"

Once we reached the end of the street, she looked around and crossed her arms. There was no sign of anyone for a good distance. She turned to me.

"I guess they walked too fast… sorry," She said, standing beside me. "It was a weird feeling…"

"Déjà vu?" I asked. She half shrugged.

"Kinda?" she said, looking behind me. "Look at that though."

"Huh?"

One particular house looked different. It was taped off with police tape and a chalk outline of a person could be seen on the walkway to the door. I took a step forward and heard voices in the distance. Camille stared at me intently. My head began to hurt.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, stepping forward. Something was behind her… I lunged forward.

"Look out!" I said, pushing her to the side. I raised my arm as a shadowy creature swung something towards us. It stung but I had to keep her safe. "Who are you?"

It didn't respond, it raised its shadowy arm and swung towards me again. Whatever it was, it definitely didn't seem human. I stepped back and looked at the girl.

"Run, now!"

I move past her slightly, grabbing her hand behind me. I reached into my pocket, giving her my keys and the knife.

"Start the car while I distract this… Thing," I said, in between steps. She nodded and looked back. Nothing seemed to be chasing us but we continued running. We slowed down as we reached the car.

She moved to the driver's side door as I turned around. The lights were still on but the streets seemed darker. I heard the car start and I began to move towards the door.

"No! Look out!" Camille shouted.

Out of the darkness between some houses, the large shadowy figure appeared with two others. I moved away from the car; they followed me.

"Camille, go!" I shouted. She said something but I couldn't hear her. The creatures kept moving forward as I stepped back. Camille stepped out of the car. "No, just go. I'll be fine!"

 _I'm always fine in the end, after all… Right?_

Camille made a noise; someone appeared behind her and knocked her down. He extended a gun towards her. I tried to move forward but my legs wouldn't move. Is this how it all ends?

"You shouldn't have stumbled into here," the man said, raising the gun towards me. "Now I'll have to get rid of you. Stupid kids interfering with things they don't understand."

"Let her go," I said, clenching my fists. The figure stepped forward with his arm still extended. He wore a nice suit but his eyes were bright yellow and his smile looked twisted. He walked over to me and pushed me to the ground. He pointed the gun towards me for a second but slowly put it away.

"I'll have them get rid of you… Nice and slow."

The person kicked me in the stomach and I saw the shadows step forward. I closed my eyes for a few seconds as I heard Camille shout something.

"No, just go, I won't let them hurt you," I said, pushing myself up. The monsters stared at me as I raised myself to my feet. "No… Neither of us are dying today!"

" _You finally understand your worth, mortal? Your life is not to throw away for no reason… I will help you, form a contract with me…."_

"Anything. Let me save my friend," I said. A light appeared around me; the monsters began to look clearer. My body felt lighter. I stretched out my arm.

" _I am thou… Thou art I… from the sea of the soul… I lend you my aid, human."_

"Come… Persona!"

The light around me intensified as the monster roared. I extended my arm as it began to charge me.

" _Allow me to help. Use my power to protect yourselves."_

The creature swiped it claw towards me. I blocked it with my arm but the pain seemed lesser than it was before. I nodded slowly and made a word out.

"Kou..ha."

My arm extended towards the creature and an orb of light shot towards it. It made a pained noise as it fell onto one knee. It wasn't dead but it seemed injured.

"Was that… magic?" I asked. A pulse of pain hit my head, I held my breath as I ran towards Camille. She hugged me as I slowed to a stop. "I don't know what's going on…"

"We need to leave, now," she said, moving towards the passenger side. I nodded and moved to sit in the driver's seat. My eyes felt heavy and I couldn't fight back the headache.

"N-no. Not… Now."


	3. Chapter 3

**I am enjoying writing this despite missing my two week deadline every time now c:**

* * *

" _My, it has been a while since we've seen you."_

I came to my senses. I was sitting on the chair across from the glass orb. The voice was a familiar one… I clutched at my head.

"Am I… Dead?" I asked. The man chuckled and shook his head.

"You are perfectly fine in your world. You're fast asleep, although you are not in the best shape," the man, Igor, said. I tried to stand up but my legs wouldn't move. I took a breath and continued.

"Is Camille okay?" I asked. He nodded and I stared towards the ground. My hands moved into my view. "What did I do… Was that all a bad dream?"

"You awakened to a power that dwells inside all people. Your determination to keep your friend safe awoke your own power," the man began. His fingers tapped his desk. "You willingly formed a contract with no hesitation. Was that truly a wise decision?"

"I don't know. I had no other choice," I said, looking forward. He nodded.

"My assistant would agree with you. However, she has not yet returned. Continue on this path, child. Your Persona will help you reach that which you are set to do. However, ultimately it is up to you," he said. I nodded and spoke out the word he said. "Next time you come here will be of your own will. I will show you my true purpose for your journey."

"Per...sona?"

* * *

My eyes opened quickly. I didn't recognize where I was. I reached around for my phone or keys. When I couldn't find either, I slowly sat up.

It was a bedroom just not my bedroom. It was organized and filled with more furniture than mine. I stood up slowly and looked around. My body felt a thousand pounds heavier as I headed for the door. I reached out for the handle before it flew open, smacking my hand.

"Ouch," I said. Camille stared at me for a second before running over to hug me. She held my phone in her hand; I stood in confusion. "Are you alright?"

"Idiot. You were the one who passed out," she said, slowly letting go. "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted. I'm just glad I don't work today," I said, moving my head around. "Where are we?"

"My… House? Where else would I take you?" she asked, handing me my phone. "Your sister called a few minutes ago, I just got done talking to her. She was worried when you didn't come home. Follow me."

"What did you tell her?" I asked. She led me to the kitchen. She told me to sit down on the counter.

"Anything I said would've been weird. I told her you came over to hang out with my brother and stayed over when it got too late," she said. She grabbed some cereal. "I don't have much. I didn't get a chance to go shopping."

"Where are your parents?" I asked. Most mothers wouldn't be okay with a random guy sleeping over. She shrugged.

"My mom's probably working. I mostly stay alone here but she trusts my judgement," she said, with a smirk. "Not a good call during high school but good now."

She sat beside me and poured me a bowl of cereal. I wasn't really hungry but I thought that I should be. Once I took a few spoonfuls, she spoke up again.

"So… Do you remember what happened last night?" she asked. Part of me wanted to say a joke but she seemed more serious than I had usually seen her. I nodded slowly. "What was that thing with you?"

"My… Persona?" I spoke slowly. She looked at me in confusion. "I don't really know. I just wanted to protect you over myself… towards the end, I was terrified and wanted to save myself and a voice spoke to me."

"Were you really about to risk your life for me like that?" she asked. I nodded. "I… don't really know what to say."

"It's how I am. I don't show a ton of emotion but I care for my friends," I said, smiling. I changed the subject. "What did it look like?"

"It was beautiful, it was a woman in golden armor and crimson wings," she said, trying to remember. Her smile slowly faded. "What was that place though… It looked just like a regular street."

"I have no idea. It looked like a crime scene," I said, checking my phone. There were a few messages from Steph but the call seemed to calm her frenzy. I texted back a white lie. "I think I need to go back there."

"What? Are you insane?" she asked me. She turned to me. "You barely made it out last time!"

"A long nosed man…" I began, holding my head. She stared at me in confusion. "Someone said something that confused me. What am I supposed to do?"

"Let the cops handle it or something. What would've happened if I had passed out too?" she said, angrily. Her fist was clenched. "Sorry, you don't get to risk your life for me and then walk into death."

"Come with me then. You followed that figure for some reason right?" I said, staring at me. She fidgeted slightly. "I can fight back."

"Never thought you'd change my life like this, you idiot," she said, smiling. She tilted her head down. "If it gets dangerous, promise me we'll leave."

"We?..." I asked her. She crossed her arms. "You don't have to come if you're not comfortable."

"You need someone to protect you."

* * *

We decided to go again tonight. I had to call Justin to switch shifts so I would close with Camille again tomorrow instead of working in the morning just in case. As we had the morning off together, she insisted on staying with me in case anything happened. Once I promised to take her to work at 5, we headed back to my home.

She looked around the living room as I closed the door behind us. I stared at my keys. There was a new, blue key that was bigger than most of my keys. I remembered what Igor said.

"Sorry it's a little empty. Most of my parent's crap got moved to storage," I said, taking my shoes off. "My room's this way. Don't expect more."

I led her towards my small bedroom. She walked in when I held the door open for her. I turned my TV for idle noise as she sat on my small bed. She looked around again as I leaned against my wall.

"Suits you. Am I the first girl you brought here?" she said, jokingly. I shrugged.

"Maybe. You don't know me," I joked back. "Why did you want to come here? You know I don't really have much."

"I was hoping to meet your sister. She wanted to thank me in person, she said," Camille said, grinning. "You said she's a teacher?"

"Yeah, she teaches 8th grade English," I said, as she knelt on the floor. She pulled out a plastic bib where I kept the cases to my games. I stared at her for a second. She was cute but a little blunt. "What does your mom do?"

"She's a fortune teller," she began. "You're probably staring at me like I'm crazy but she has a gift for it. I don't let her ready my fortune for that reason."

"I didn't say anything. Whatever pays the bills, right?" I said, leaning back. She leaned forward and put a CD in the console, grabbed a controller, and leaned against the side of the bed where my legs were resting.

"She doesn't really see it that way. She never mentions that stuff to me. We've never been rich but money has never been an issue," she began. "I didn't have to do anything… I just wanted to."

"What do you mean?" I asked, watching the screen. She was playing a shooter game I rarely played anymore and was doing pretty well.

"I wasn't forced to go to school or work," she said, shrugging. "I didn't want to waste my life away though. I don't have any talents like my mom so I got a job and took a bus to college every day."

"That's good. Most people don't care enough to do better for themselves," I said. She nodded.

"Why are you so mature for your age?" She asked me. "Everyone at work frustrates me… except you."

"My life went to shit in the past few years. I don't show it; I bottle it up and put on a fake smile," I began. She didn't look towards me but I could tell she was listening. "My parents were deported. My sister got married to a friend of hers to eventually bring them back. I'm only able to work and drive because of a work permit that could get taken away when the government wants."

She left the game lobby. She nodded.

"I'm sorry. My problems don't seem like shit anymore, huh?" she said, giggling. "Us meeting couldn't be a coincidence… I don't believe in randomness."

"Maybe. I like having a friend. My situation will sort itself out in a year or two. I don't know if I'll stay here or go back south," I said. She moved up to the bed and sat beside me. She started texting someone before talking again.

"Everything eventually works itself out right?" She said, with a small smile. She put her phone on my nightstand. "Man, I don't wanna work now."

"Why?" I asked. She jumped up and grabbed my hand, lifting me forward.

"I'd rather be here. Let's go, I bet your sister won't mind coming home to lunch instead of having to make it."

* * *

After letting my sister know of what we were doing, Camille and I spent almost an hour preparing whatever she ended up deciding on. She put her hair up in a lazy bun and began working on a pasta dish. I looked at her across the counter.

"You know… I know you have some sort of food certificate but you're really useless in the kitchen," She said, as I smirked.

"I'm alright with just eating cereal and there's not too many issues with cereal and food safety," I said. I turned on the TV and Camille stopped me before I could switch the channel.

"Look!..."

It was a news channel that was reporting local news. It was speaking about the mayor candidate that was found with a gun on his person. The woman began speaking about how his home was sealed off as police investigated a suicide attempt after multiple gunshots were heard at night. The images that they showed were familiar…

"That's…" I stared at the screen to make sure. My headache came back. "That looks like the house last night."

"That scandal was crazy. The guy seemed so passionate and came out of nowhere against the long time mayor in the election," she said.

"My sister's husband works with some politician. He mentioned it was a strange thing to do considering he was so clear to win," I began, finally changing the channel. "So many people just seem to snap lately, it starts to scare you. That's kind of a reason why I break the driving employees to work rule when I'm closing."

"This area was always known for being really boring but safe. It's probably your fault, don't you think?" she asked, jokingly. "You move in and things start to get weird?"

"Maybe I'm a dangerous guy?"

"You found your partner in crime then."

* * *

About a half hour passed before the door opened. My sister walked in normally before noticing the two of us across the room. She smiled devilishly as I sat up from my slouched position.

"Hope I didn't interrupt," she said. I sighed. "You know I'm joking. Hello, nice to meet you. I'm his sister, Stephanie."

"I'm Camille, we spoke on the phone this morning. Sorry about all that. You know boys and their video games," she said, shrugging and staring towards me. What a flawless fib.

"It is nice that you already met some friends," Steph said, putting her bag down on the couch. "It smells wonderful, I never thought guests in my house would be cooking for me."

"Yeah, I know I wouldn't cook for you," I said, as she smacked her. She leaned over the granite counter. "Everything went good today?"

"Yeah, not too much you can do to get middle schoolers excited about summer school," she began. "Nate said he would be late today so we should eat without him."

"Kissing ass professionally really must be draining," I said, sarcastically. She sighed.

"Stop that. I don't get why you two can't just get along," she said. She turned to Camille. "Sorry. They're both stubborn as hell."

"Yeah but that can be a good thing," Camille said. She handed her a plate. "It's simple but we are burger specialists."

"I have to drop her off at 5 so I can pick up what we used and anything else you need," I said, yawning. "Need gas too, anyway."

"You always need gas. Wish Dad would've gotten something more economic," she said, sitting beside me. Camille joined us, handing me a plate.

"C'mon, that car got you your license. How could you want to get rid of a classic?" I said, smiling. "All I gotta do is not destroy it for when he gets back."

"Sounds like you got a tough job. Can't really tell the car is older than we are," she said, folding her work apron on the counter.

* * *

We spent almost an hour eating but mostly I spent it listening to the girls make small talk. I tuned in whenever I heard my name followed by immediate sarcasm. After a bit, the both of us had to go. My sister gave Camille a hug.

"Stop by anytime, it's nice to have people around. I can't recall a girl ever coming over," Steph began. I grabbed Camille's arm. "We used to think tha-"

"I'll be back," I said, dragging the girl out.

The confused girl got into the car and we began to head towards our work place. She stared at me; I sighed.

"My family thought I was gay for so long," I said, as she giggled. "S-Shut up."

"So you're ruining my fantasy of having a gay best friend?" she said, laughing. "That's funny."

"I knew exactly where she was going with that," I said. "Now I'm ready for her to constantly call you my girlfriend to my parents and the non-stop bother from my mom about details."

"Really?" she asked, raising a hand to her chin. "You never had a girlfriend before or something?"

"Uhm… no," I said. She shook her head and grabbed my phone. "What are you doing?"

"Don't crash."

She held my phone against the window and took a picture of the two of us. I smiled.

It had only been a few days but I felt our friendship became closer.

* * *

I walked inside the restaurant with Camille in tow. She split off to go change in the bathroom while I walked up the counter. Bob, my boss, spoke up when he saw me.

"Mister Riley, how are you?" he asked. I responded neutrally. "Rachel said you're not a terrible teacher. You guys did a good job."

"Thanks. I told you I could do it," I said, smirking. He shrugged with his own grin.

"We'll see if you feel that way after working a Saturday afternoon," he said. I nodded.

"Easy peasy," I said, grabbing a small stack of papers. I scanned a sheet for a few seconds and saw Justin and I's names switched in pen. "I was in the area and thought I'd make sure he wrote it down. Something came up and it'd be easier for me to close.'

"I don't have a problem with that. Just watch your hours and leave someone that can do what you can, it's not fun to get screwed," he said. Camille came around the corner.

"Sup, old man," she said, waving. She put one hand on my shoulder. "If you wanna trade Deivon for another one of these, I won't say no."

"I'll think about that," Bob said. He walked away somewhere when someone called his name. Camille went around the corner and grabbed my phone again. She extended it back out and I drew my unlock pattern before she went back to it.

"So… I'll see you tonight?" she said, sliding my phone back to me. I nodded. Another crew member stared as they walked by.

After grabbing a cup of soda, I headed back to the car. I noticed something shining near the emergency door to the store. I maneuvered around two cars and stood behind the drive thru menu, staring at a glowing, blue door.

I stepped forward, as the weird key I found seemed to find its way to my hand and into the keyhole. My vision went white for a second before I pulled out the chair and sat across from the glass ball.

This time, a woman stared at me through the glass. Her mouth was covered with a blue cloth and I could only see her yellow eyes and dark hair. Her hands hovered over the glass ball as it began to darken like it always had.

"You've found your way back to the Velvet room. Just as my master said, by your own will you sought our guidance," she said, crossing her hands on her lap.

"What guidance can you give me? I just get more and more questions when I come here," I said. She nodded slowly.

"You lack the potential most of our former guests possessed. Your journey will be difficult but the success is entirely up to you and the relationships you form," she began. "Why would a person with such limited power be a guest of ours? I suppose time will tell."

"What do you mean I lack potential?" I said. She stared at me.

"Your Persona is weak. It will strengthen with you but it's potential has an end. Your chances of success are fairly low," she said.

"I did what I had to do. Tell me what that place was," I said. She nodded.

"Time moves forward in your world; I will keep it brisk," she said. She closed her eyes. "You ventured into a world parallel to our own. When something goes wrong in there, it affects your world negatively. I'm sorry, my master would surely have more answers for you. I mostly foresee troubles for you to overcome."

"What troubles?" I asked. She bowed and stood up. She began walking away into the darkness. I clenched my fist as my vision went white again.

* * *

My phone lit up with a text from Camille, saying they were almost done. The clock read 1:35, which meant they were on track for a regular day. Camille continued to stare at me from the screen of my phone.

My foot tapped to the beat of my music. After a few more minutes, the four closers began to walk out. They were led by a short, hispanic woman in a manager's shirt. Once Camille headed towards my car, the woman also veered towards us. She waved at me with a smile.

"Hey, I don't think we met yet. My schedule is a little wonky, I'm Diana," she said, as Camille got in.

"Yeah and the reason we don't get out till almost 2 am every night," she said, sarcastically. "My fingers look like they're from a 90 year old woman."

"Hey, nice to finally meet you," I said, waving back.

"Don't get involved with this girl, she's nothing but trouble," Diana said. "I'll see you tomorrow, I'll be with you till 10."

"Alright, see you then," I said. She seemed nice. Camille took off her wet apron and threw it into the back seat. She took a tired breath and closed her eyes. "You alright?"

"Yeah… She's just really into cleaning. Are you ready?" she asked me. I nodded.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I said, beginning to drive. I held my phone with a map of the area open. "All I remember was missing a turn."

"We'll find it eventually then," she said. Her hands tugged at her pants. She held the knife I had given her in silence. "You can summon that… Thing, right?"

"Yeah. At least, I think I can… Igor mentioned it was a part of me…" I said. She looked at me blankly. "I'm not sure myself about the details but I think I can."

"Well… you missed my turn," she said. I made the next left I could. My headlights went out and the speedometer rose by itself. Camille went to grab my hand but I raised my arm in front of her.

This time was different; I didn't lose consciousness and saw a dull light at the end of this 'tunnel'. Once we slowed to a halt, I shook Camille.

"Hey, wake up."

"I don't want to. I've been cleaning dishes for 3 hours," she groaned, sitting up. She rubbed her eyes as we exited the car together. She looked around. "Still creepy."

"Do you feel anything?" I asked. She shook her head. She put her arm around mine as we began walking.

The place looked the same. Yellow, dull lights lit the houses, shadows seemed to shift constantly in our peripherals. Her hold seemed to tighten each time something happened. We reached the sealed off house and I kneeled down near the chalk outline.

"If this is related to the incident going on, who's chalk outline is this? They said it was a failed suicide attempt, right?" I asked her. She nodded.

"That's what the news said," she began. She looked behind her shoulder. "Did you hear that? Someone called me."

"I didn't hear anything," I said, standing back up. She grabbed my hand.

"It's that person. The one from yesterday?" she said. My head went to the image of Camille on the ground with a gun pointed at me. I shuddered but retained my composure. I nodded as we took off towards the end of the street.

The end was a bunch of thick trees and darkness. Camille looked around but we didn't see anything. She sighed.

"It went away again. I want some damn answers already," she said, angrily. I pushed her behind me.

"Look out, it's the monsters," I said, as two creatures leaped towards us from the trees. They were smaller than the minotaur looking one from yesterday but they looked more like piles of slime. I remembered Igor's words. "Per...Persona, lend me your aid!"

I heard a womanly voice speak to me while a light surrounded me.

" _I will be your guiding light."_

"Kouha," The words came to me. My arm pointed at one of the creatures and a ball of light flew towards it. It disappeared into a pile of black. The second one leaped forward and tackled me onto the ground.

I jumped back onto my feet and repeated the word. The orb flew and missed, flying towards the trees. Camille grabbed my arm.

"Let's go," she said, pulling me away. The monster seemed distracted. I followed her lead. We passed the house and saw a familiar figure by the car. "Y-You…"

"You kids are a real pain. It's a shame," he said. He pulled out a handgun and extended his arm again. It was pointed at me. "You know this won't kill you, right? You have that power. As long as you're here, you're a damn super hero. She, however…"

"Don't you fucking dare," I said, stepping in front of her. He raised his hand and put the gun away.

"I'm no murderer. I wouldn't want to stain this suit," he said. He laughed and snapped his fingers. The minotaur appeared again and he waved. "Have fun."

"This thing again, stay behind me," I said, touching my face. I smirked as the light came back. "Nemhain, come!"

The creature moved towards me holding what looked like a large axe. I moved away from Camille and launched another spell. It hit the monster but didn't stun it like before. It swung its axe and it hit me in the arm. A red wing covered my arm, making the deathblow into a sharp pain. This was what the man mean?

My fist flew forward and pushed the creature back. I breathed heavily. This power was draining me. The monster mouthed a word and a black spirit came around, knocking me down to my knee.

"W-What was that?" I said. It hurt all over. I heard a voice.

"That's the limit I spoke of. Your Persona has weaknesses and you posses no way to overcome them," said a woman in a dark hood. Her yellow eyes stared me as I stood up, slowly. "Running is advised. Your fate here does not look good."

The monster moved to swing its axe again. I felt a body shaking blow as I covered my eyes.

"Let's… go," Camille said, trying to lift me up. She had tackled me to the side. I stood up slowly and attempted to use another spell. It was no good. Both my Persona and I were drained.

"All our former guests could manifest multiple Personas while you lack the gift," she said. She crossed her arms. "Why would you be a guest of ours? It is truly a bizarre question."

"Shut up!" Camille shouted, putting my arm around her. I stood up and sighed.

" _We aren't limited to one attack. Follow my lead."_

"I won't… Lose," I said to myself. I ran forward and my arm formed a pointed spear of light. I impacted against the minotaur. He struggled for a second before throwing me against the ground. The attack did damage but my body was exhausted again. "I'm sorry. I'm too weak."

"Hey, you. Do something," Camille said angrily. The woman turned to her.

"Your fate lies elsewhere. You shouldn't be involved with this place," she said, turning away. She began to walk away. Camille ran towards me and stood between the monster and I.

"I won't let you die," she said, as I stood up again. I nodded. Her eyes closed for a second and light began to surround her. "I will accept my fate alongside you, no matter what anyone says."

The woman turned back and looked towards us angrily.

"I'll form a contract with you. It's my choice to stand by my friend no matter what," she said, as a woman appeared over her in a bright light. She wore white clothing and a strange black material hovered around her waist. She held a bolt of cloth as Camille looked towards me. "Stay on guard, we can handle this."

"Right, take the lead," I nodded. The monster cast his dark spell towards me and I raised my arms. My Persona's wings covered me for the blow. It still hurt but I retained my footing. "Maybe you can hit its weakness."

"Clotho, help me," she said, as her Persona moved her arms forward. "Garu!"

A gust of wind hit the monster, knocking him down. Instead of running, Camille tilted her head towards the monster.

"Now's our chance to finish it," she said. I nodded as I formed the spear around my hand again. I jabbed the monster through the chest, turning it into a shadowy stain on the ground. "Yes! We did it."

"Holy crap," I said, catching my breath. I moved over to my friend who, while smiling, fell forward into my arms. "You okay?"

"Just so tired, this is worse than work," she joked. I wrapped a hand under her legs and picked her up.

"I'll take you home, just rest for now," I said, heading back towards the car. The woman stared at me as we passed. "I don't think fate matters with this one."

"Yes. I know that very well. Please come to the room when she comes to. I believe you know where a nearby entrance will be," she said before heading off into obscurity. "I will reveal more of your journey."

* * *

I carried Camille to the car and drove us back. It was just a dark stretch that seemed to go for a mile until we returned to our own world. After a bit of hesitation, I touched her pockets and only felt her phone and a wallet. Thinking maybe they hid a key somewhere, I took her back to my house.

I opened the door and went back to the car to get her sleeping body. I closed the door with my foot and locked it with the hand by her legs and moved through the darkness to my room. I lowered her down onto my bed and sighed.

"Figures I get rid of my big bed when I actually need it," I thought. I took off my work shirt and laid it down on my desk. I began thinking of different scenarios for tomorrow as I went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water. A door opened and I nearly dropped the bottle. My sister's husband, Nate, came around the corner. "Hey."

"Hey. Weren't you off today?" he asked. I nodded.

"A friend needed a ride. I don't want her walking home at 2 in the morning," I said. He nodded and grabbed a glass, filling it with water from the fridge.

"It's almost four in the morning," he said, drinking his own drink. "And you look like shit."

"We went to eat and talk. I told Steph I'd be gone, you guys didn't wait for me, right?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, we left you a plate if you got hungry. Just heard a noise," he said, putting the glass in the sink. "Do you work Sunday?"

"I don't think so," I said. He nodded.

"Want to go to an aquarium with us? Steph mentioned it awhile ago," he said. I nodded. "Invite that friend of yours if you want."

"Yeah, sure. That'd be nice," I said, yawning. "Imma get some sleep. I need to be up at 5 pm tomorrow."

"Heh, what a life," he chuckled. "Night."

Closing the door behind me, I stared at my poor options of where I'd sleep. I had two pillows and a twin sized bed that were being used along with its respective blanket. I laid on the cold, tile floor and crossed my arms behind my head.

"I've slept in worse places… Probably."

* * *

Waking up, I felt worse than the night my Persona awakened. I sat up and checked my phone; a text from my sister and a text from our boss about next month's schedule requests.

No one was home at this hour so I left the door open as I went into the kitchen. The clock said it was 12:30 so we had a while before work. I went into autopilot, working on making scrambled eggs. My thoughts shifted to last night.

"I was supposed to protect her. Why was I so weak?" I said to no one. "Why can't I protect anyone? Fuck."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," she said. I sighed. "Sorry if I came in at a bad time."

"I'm just glad you're okay. I couldn't find a key so I brought you here," I said. She sat at the counter and nodded.

"That's fine. Who knows if anyone would've been home anyway. I doubt you'd wanna explain anything anyway," she said. I pulled down the lever on the toaster. "Can I get a drink?"

"Yeah, get whatever you want," I said, moving the eggs into a plate. I grabbed some bacon strips. "They invited us to go to an aquarium this Sunday, if you want to come."

"What? That's pretty out of the blue," she said, grabbing some orange juice. "Sounds fun though."

"We have to go somewhere before work," I said. I explained the Velvet room the best I could. Camille stared at me in confusion but seemed to understand as I explained. "The woman wanted to see us. You'll probably see the weird door now."

"Yeah, someone said you were standing behind the menu boards like a weirdo," she said, sitting back down. I put the three plates on the counter before her. "Is this our 4 day anniversary breakfast date?"

"Huh, that's a short time," I said, chuckling. "I don't think we're dating yet. I can't handle much more of these nightly almost dying dates."

"What's more romantic than a moonlit drive?" she asked, smiling. She took an audible breath. "I wonder who that man is. Check the TV, maybe they'll say something about that guys house."

"Maybe. Let's see," I said. I turned the TV on while grabbing some of everything to make a quick breakfast sandwich.

The local news droned on while we ate until what we were looking for came on. The news reported the case again but added how his trial had begun and how he was saying he was not guilty when everything pointed against him. They mentioned how his wife had been put into protective services after he attempted to take her life. Camille shook her head.

"There's no way!" she exclaimed. She saw my confusion. "It can't be a coincidence. Rumors of our current mayor being corrupt come up and the leading candidate to beat him is on trial? Shit doesn't add up."

"Hmm… Maybe there's a connection with everything… And that other world is definitely involved," I said, as she grabbed my phone.

"You didn't take any pictures of me sleeping, right?" she asked. Huh?

"Random. No?" I said, confused. "I felt scared enough hiding you from Nate last night. Usually Steph come in to say bye but I had good luck today, apparently."

"Well, good. Either way, I was joking but good job not being a perv," she said, handing the phone back. "Let's go soon. I need time to change and shower too."

* * *

"Seriously, this is so weird! Anyone who drives by can just see us standing here," she said as we moved through the cars in line at the speaker.

"Time moves slower… I think. We won't be gone long," I said, as the blue door came into view. The menu blocked us from immediate sight but I had a fear a car would say something to the speaker. "This wouldn't look good if we got caught here together."

"Are you ashamed of me?" she said, in a jokingly offended voice. I unlocked the door. As I prepared my sarcastic response, my vision went bright until my feet stopped at the familiar chair and glass orb.

"Not ashamed. I just need my job still," I said. A second chair was alongside mine. I took a seat. Camille sat beside me slowly, eyeing every inch of the room.

"Welcome to the Velvet room. It has been even longer since we've had multiple guests here," Igor said, tapping his fingers rhythmically on his desk. "I believe my assistant would like a word with you."

"Yes, she asked us to come when we could," I said as the woman stepped out from the darkness. She sat across from me.

"That is not what I said. Do not change my words," she said. Her hands moved around the glass orb. "Your journey will only lead to hardships and suffering, both physically and mentally. I witnessed first hand your inability to defend yourself. I offer you a choice."

She snapped her finger; a paper formed in front of me along with a quill and an inkwell.

"You can release your Persona. A chance to void your contract, if you will," she said as the quill came into my hands. "Your Persona has memories of a former host with more capabilities than yourself. You would be lying to both of yourselves if you continue this."

"I… I made my choice. I can't go back on my word," I said, snapping the quill in half. She sighed impatiently.

"While my assistant possesses incredible insight, her predictions are not absolute," Igor said. The woman looked annoyed but nodded. "Elyse, please continue to assist our guests if they choose to continue their journey."

"Of course, master," she said, standing up. She grabbed her hood with both hands. "I never expected that a companion of our newest guest would be…"

Her hood flew back. Her eyes dulled to a steely gray color. Camille grabbed my hand tightly as the woman's plain but beautiful face stared at us with a hint of anger."

"My own daughter."


	4. Chapter 4

**Quick note to the probably 7 people who read this story. I live in Florida so I will be out of commission for a while because of the annoying hurricane situation so I wanted to get this up before then. Enjoy!**

* * *

"No fucking way," she whispered, tightening her hold on my hand. I looked around, very confused. I had no idea what was going on; the woman collected herself and sat back down.

"My name is Elyse, an attendant of this room. Just as many before me, my purpose is to assist you and my master," she said, staring at me. "As you were the catalyst for all this, despite not being associated with the Fool arcana, you will take responsibility for what ultimately happens to your companions and yourself, correct?"

"You need to explain this," Camille said, quickly. "How are you involved with this? Doesn't this make you not a human? What does that make me?"

"You should be a regular girl going to work and school. Don't worry about those details," she said. She looked at me again. "How we can help you is by showing you potential outcomes for your actions using my powers."

"Thank you both," I said, lowering my head in a bow. Camille crossed her arms. Her mother turned to her again. I just wanted to calm Camille down. "When you meet me in your world, I will not remember this. Think of it as two minds inside one brain," she said. Igor nodded behind her.

"Stay true to your fate and you will persevere. No one has visited this room without a fantastic story soon to follow," he said, chuckling. He snapped his fingers as the room brightened. "We've taken enough of your time. Please, do not hesitate to visit us if you need guidance."

* * *

We stood in our world again, behind the large menu boards alongside a bright, blue door no one could see but us. A voice spoke up, scaring us into freezing.

"What are you guys doing?" Justin asked, looking at us strangely. I turned and looked around the ground.

"A rabbit ran through here, she didn't want it to get hurt," I said, sighing. She knelt down and looked in the cracks between the freezer and building.

"I can't see it. I hope it's okay," she said, standing up. She turned to the other boy. "You're taking out the trash? How sweet of you."

"It's too hot for you attitude," he said, as we walked down the small ramp. Cars stared at us in confusion. "You two seem close."

"You don't wanna share your new friend?" Camille asked, smugly. He laughed as we walked towards the dumpsters.

"Just curious. I know I couldn't stand you for more than work hours," he said, tilting his head towards me. "Can you lift the lid?"

"Yeah, sure," I said, doing what he asked. "Thanks for switching with me. My sister needed some help this morning."

"Yeah, no problem. Better than closing then waking up at 10 am the next day," he said, as we began walking back. "Can't believe you're doing it though. You do know you open tomorrow, right?"

"...I do?"

* * *

The night went smoothly and just busy enough to make time fly by. After finishing all the breaks for the employees, Justin and I found ourselves in the office after a small break in people coming in. He sat on the chair, texting someone while I filled out a paper after taking temperatures of the food.

"Want me to open for you?" he asked. I shrugged.

"If you want. I'll survive either way," I said, leaning against the door.

"It's fine since I'm leaving soon. Just work 10 to 8, alright?" he said, switching our names on the schedule. "This job's tiring enough with the shit we go through."

"Yeah, sometimes," I said, smiling. "So, tell me about her."

"What do you want me to say? You probably know more than any of us. She never really says anything about her life but is reliable and works hard. Those people are rare so we treat her good with hours," he said. He leaned back. "Plus she never complains about the days I give her when I make the schedule so we get along."

"Huh, alright," I said, as he stood up. "So don't bother her and she shows up to work."

"She's just a sassy girl probably," he said, turning towards me. "Want to hang out tomorrow night?"

"Uhh, sure. Just text me the details," I said, as he nodded. He asked me if I drank; I nodded cautiously.

"Alcohol and Smash Bros?" he said, nodding. I grinned. "Alright, Imma get going. I have to finish the schedule."

"Sounds good, I'll see you tomorrow," I said.

Once he left, I finished a few minor things before more customers came. The other manager with me was the woman from yesterday, Diana. Justin told me she had worked for almost 15 years here so she knew what to do despite recently stepping down because of a second job.

The rest of the night went by quickly. After eleven o'clock, it went dead to the point I was done earlier than usual. One rolled around and I found myself helping the boy on grill clean his floors until everyone finished. Everyone clocked out, I set the alarm, and we were all on our way.

"Another 110 dollars," I said, as Camille sighed.

"Yeah and another 10 for me," she said, sarcastically. I smirked.

"I'll buy you some ice cream," I said. She shook her head.

"No thanks, Scarface. That isn't how you win a woman's heart anymore," she said, sticking her tongue out. She got inside the car after we waved to the other people. She took off her hat and let out a tired sigh. "We're not going... There, right? Not tonight?"

"We don't have to. We could probably use the break," I said, starting the car for its weak A/C to give us some relief. "You alright?"

"Kinda having an existential crisis here," She said, crossing her arms. Her apron was still damp. "My mom is some attendant to some bug eyed old man who created her? How am I supposed to believe I'm a normal girl?"

"She didn't expect you to have a Persona. She kept telling me about your fate and apparently, you changed yours last night. Are you hungry?" I asked before continuing. She nodded and I began to drive. "Seems like your mother knows more than Igor is allowing her to reveal. Let's try to piece what we know."

"Alright, that sounds smart," she said. She rubbed her eyes. "Where are we going anyway? It's almost two in the morning."

"Somewhere nice and romantic, don't worry," I said, smirking.

* * *

We grabbed some food and a drink, I paid the woman, and we sat down on one of the tables. She had taken off her work shirt and apron in the car. Parts of her tank top were wet from the sink but she said she wasn't cold when I offered her a jacket. She took a sip of her drink before saying her sarcastic reply.

"This is why you don't have a girlfriend," she said. "A gas station at 2 am is not a romantic place."

"Is too. I took plenty of girls here," I joked. She pretended to choke on her drink. "Don't be like that."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure you took multiple women to dates here, you seem like that kind of guy," she said. "So… now that we both have Personas, we can defend each other next time."

"I'm convinced it has something to do with the actual street in our world. We should try going inside next time," I suggested. She nodded.

"Whoever that man is, he said we were meddling in things that didn't concern us. Since bullets won't kill us there, we don't have to be that scared," she said. I nodded slightly.

"Still… A gun to the face is kinda scary. We should get some sort of weapon. Relying on our Personas is tiring," I suggested.

"I think I know a place. Ooh, can we buy guns?" she said, excitedly. I shook my head.

"I don't think so. Legally at least," I said. "You're too young to carry a gun and I'm not a citizen. It'd look strange if Nate ever caught us and I don't really wanna explain that."

"Well I doubt there's any laws about some evil parallel world," she said. "I'm off tomorrow but we both work Friday. I close but I'd rather go then."

"Alright, I got plans tomorrow night anyway," I said. She looked at me with a smug smile. "Justin invited me to hang out. Want to come?"

"Sure, if he's okay with that," she said, yawning. "Hey, I know I'm kinda bitchy and stuff but it's nice to have a friend. Most people avoid me and the managers keep their distance because of the rules."

"Why do people avoid you?" I asked. She seemed unpleased with where the conversation went. I was about to change the subject but she spoke up.

"An asshole ex-boyfriend spread a nasty rumor that lingered after he quit almost 6 months ago. I stopped trying to prove myself to everyone since it was a waste of time. People believe what they want to, y'know?" she said with an uneasy chuckle towards the end. "That's just my fortune, huh? I try to date one person and it blows up."

"That's rough. I'm sorry," I said. It felt awkward but I didn't know what to really say.

"It's fine. Nothing we can do about it now," she said, yawning. "Boys suck. You probably suck too… except a little less."

"Thanks, I guess? Let's get going, I'll text you tomorrow about Justin's," I said.

"Sounds good. Hope yo- Don't bitch about being too tired tomorrow," she said, smirking. I wondered what she was gonna say but instead, I tiredly responded with a smile.

"Oh, I won't. Ten hour days don't even phase me anymore."

* * *

The next day, we pulled into the apartment complex slowly until I recognized Justin's car. I parked beside him and we got out. I threw my work shirt into the backseat and grabbed a spare black t-shirt.

"You're really changing right now? Not in the bathroom at work?" she asked. I couldn't see her for a second as the shirt came off.

"When I leave work, I leave work," I said, putting in my new shirt. She sighed as she stared at me.

"You're weird," She said, as I opened my trunk and grabbed my trusty red backpack. "What's that? Nerd stuff?"

"Not exactly," I said, as we walked to the door. After knocking, I heard a muffled voice saying to come in. "Hey… Guys."

We entered the small apartment. The place smelled of delivered pizza as Justin stood up and greeted us. Our other co-worker, Deivon, was there along with another girl Camille recognized and I only knew through word as Justin's girlfriend, Tammy. I moved past the TV and to the kitchen, putting down my bag.

"It's cool she came right? I mentioned it last night," I said, holding out a sizeable glass bottle. "It's still cold. Don't own any shot glasses though."

"Dang, this is good stuff. You came ready," he said, turning towards one of his cabinets. He pulled out 4 different shot glasses and placed them in a line, filling them up. He motioned for people in the living room to come over. "You close tomorrow right? If you don't wanna drive you can sleep here."

"So we're gonna see if the new guy can keep up?" Camille asked, moving her hand towards a small glass. I grabbed her hand midway.

"You're too young," I said, smirking.

"Right, I forgot you're still a baby," Deivon said, as she glared at him.

"Please, I'll out drink you anyday," she said.

We all shared a laugh and a drink. The warm sensation hit the back of my throat for a second as I swallowed the drink. Everyone shared the same split second pained look and tried to look normal when they seemed to notice. We moved back to the living room as Justin came back with a beer for each person. He explained the Mario Kart drinking game where we couldn't drink and drive but had to finish the can before the finish line.

Each player had their own strategy in mind. Deivon and I went for the same one; drink it all first then race while Justin and Camille took off in the game. After a few rounds, I found myself with a few empty cans of beer but no victories to my name. Justin's girlfriend eventually left for work since she worked overnight and Camille hugged her goodbye. I sat back on the couch, rubbing my eyes.

"Contacts suck." The rubbing brought slight relief but every blink was irritating. I turned to my coworkers. "You guys work tomorrow?"

"Yeah, you close right?" Deivon said. I nodded. "At least it's not Sunday now. Imagine waking up at 5am with a hangover and having to do inventory."

"Yeah right, I don't make enough for that," I joked. Justin tossed a controller at me. Deivon stood up and grabbed his stuff. "Leaving?"

"Yeah, I gotta be up at 12 tomorrow," he said. He gave a wave to us all as he headed out.

The atmosphere didn't change. We continued playing a different game where I finally started to win some. We made small talk about the game until a few more rounds passed by.

Checking the time, I slouched back in the couch and yawned.

"So why were you two really behind the menu boards?" he asked. "You ignored when I said something the first time. You spent like 15 minutes there."

"It didn't feel that long. Plus, I told you. There was a rabbit," Camille said. I nodded, considering we spent almost half an hour there in our time. Seemingly, we just stood still like zombies when we entered the room. "You're randomly observant."

"I'm always observant. Just don't say much," he said. He nodded to me. "This job drains you of any emotions sometimes. I get people that say my tone is sarcastic and it gets me in trouble. I bet you know what I'm saying."

"I know. You're fine the way you are. You actually care still," she said, sitting up beside me. "So much is expected of you guys. Most crew members don't get it."

"Bob's been pushing me to be like Deivon lately. With you coming in, he says I'm the weakest RM now," he said, sighing.

"Really? I barely know anything about the position," I said. Justin nodded.

"Your old store was smaller so you know more than most people. You had more responsibilities there. By job title, we're who Bob counts on but at this point, I only wanted the money," Justin said, sipping his drink. He seemed more relaxed after venting. "Never pictured myself running a store."

"I bet you'll probably save my ass a bunch of times in the future… I got your back man," I said, standing up. My mind was working quickly but my body seemed to lag. "Everything sucks but we gotta stay positive, right?"

"Sounds good. Just stay here, she's already asleep anyway," he said, standing up. He grabbed a few empty cans and headed to the kitchen. I followed him with my own garbage. "Do you like her or something?"

"What?" I asked. The question didn't make sense; he repeated himself and it clicked. "Oh! Uh, maybe? She's cute and we get along."

"You've heard the rumors, right?" he asked. I shrugged and shook my head. I wondered what was his point of view but he repeated what she said last night. "I know they're fake but shit like that lasts a while. Her ex still comes by randomly to get food, you've probably seen him at night."

"People like that eventually meet their justice," I said, grabbing a bottle of water.

"That's a weird way of saying karma's a bitch," he said, looking down at his phone. "I had to let Tammy know you guys are here so she doesn't freak out at 7am."

"Tell her I'm sorry. I barely drink but when I do, I make it count," I said. He walked towards me.

"Thanks for coming. It's nice to finally have someone like you here. Living down here with no one to talk to sucks. I got your back too, just let me know."

* * *

The vibration in my pocket woke me up. I sat up on the couch adjacent to Camille, who was still sound asleep. A clock on the wall read 7:27 am and I slid the button to answer the phone call. I opened the front door and sat on the front step of the apartment.

"Hello, mijo," my mother greeted me like she always had. I greeted her back. She continued the conversation in English like she usually tried to. "How are you? Your sister tells me you made a friend."

"I made a few. How is everything? Do you need anything?" I asked. She sighed with a happy tone, I had begun to understand her phone mannerisms now. "Seriously, I make more money now, I can send you-"

"We are alright. Things are hard but easier at the same time. Your dad says hello, he's going to work now. Remember Milton? He got him a job at his car dealership as one of his mechanics. He says you better be taking care of his car," she said. I chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. That thing is like his favorite son," I joked. The door behind me opened. "I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright. Keep in touch, I feel like only your sister texts me anymore," she said. I agreed if I remembered. My mother sighed. "Bye, mijo. Be good."

"I'll try," I said, hanging up. Camille sat beside me. "Hey, you passed out."

"Deivon said I couldn't out drink him. Please, he's more of a baby than Justin when it comes to alcohol," she said, smirking. "I didn't know you spoke to your mom in English."

"She doesn't want to forget. Weird that she tells me to be good and we're going to that other world tomorrow," I said. "Is that being bad?"

"I don't think so. There's gotta be a reason why we ended up there," she said. "There's nothing to do in this boring town. The 9 hour countdown begins."

"What was that place you mentioned about for weapons?" I asked.

"A pawnshop 5 minutes from where you live. A girl from my high school's family owns it and they have some cool stuff," she said, resting her head on one hand. "I don't think your little knife will do much."

"It was for school film projects anyway," I said, standing up. "Let's go check it out."

* * *

Between an ice cream parlor and a chain restaurant that sold subs, there was a pawn shop that I hadn't noticed. We parked and Camille led the way into the air conditioned building.

The white shelves were full of miscellaneous electronics, DVD's, and video games. I skimmed the games for a hidden gem while Camille rolled her eyes and headed to the counter. I joined her soon after, staring at the wall of swords and guitars. She waved at me. The girl seemed our age but dressed very well and spoke like a seasoned salesman.

"Hello and welcome. Camille told me about you. You collect knives? I got a few nice ones you might want to check out," she said, smiling brightly.

"Yeah, let me see what you have," I asked. She opened a small, decorative box and I grabbed a nice, well maintained black pocket knife. It was longer than mine even though it was mostly for decoration. "This is nice, I'll take it."

"That one is 20 dollars. I knocked a few dollars off for a first time customer," she said. Camille thanked her as I handed her the money. "It was nice seeing you Camille. How are you and Ryan?"

"Screw him. Guy was an asshole after all, just my luck," she said, shrugging. The cashier turned to me.

"Don't break her heart, ya hear? She's a dangerous one," she said, waving a finger. I shook my head as Camille looked away. "Oh. Oops."

"Thank you for everything," I said, as she nodded happily. She waved and thanked us for our business. We headed back to the car and I handed her the knife. "Here."

"What? You keep it, you bought it," she said. I insisted. "You sure? You were closer than I ever was."

"My Persona can help me fight up close. I'd rather you be safe," I said. She leaned back on her seat.

"I hate these seats. I'm gonna cuss your dad out," she said, jokingly. She wasn't wrong, they got hot fast with this sun.

"Good luck, he barely speaks English. Want to hang out at my house till work? You have clothes here so we can just wash them," I said, staring to drive.

"Sure. I think I'll just leave a spare outfit with you, my favorite chauffeur," she said, crossing her legs smugly.

"You're sweet, you know that?"

* * *

The night went by uneventfully. Work was as mundane as ever but I couldn't help be nervous again as we drove into the darkness. Once the car stopped, we both got out. I felt a surge of chills as Camille walked towards me. She held the black knife in her hand.

"Let's explore the blocked off house. Something's going on there," she said. I nodded and we began to walk. The wind blew causing us to shiver and be paranoid from any sound around us. She held my hand as we walked. "My Persona seems worried."

"I'm here with you. We need to find out why we ended up here," I said. My Persona seemed to be pleased; I felt warm for a second as we approached the house. The chalk outline still seemed ominous and the now open door didn't help ease us any. "Let's go, stay close."

"Yeah, like I would just go alone," she said, sarcastically. At least she was still in a good mood.

The house was empty but tattered. The furniture and flooring were bloodied and broken. As we kept going, nothing got much better. We entered the kitchen area and some dark figure scurried off; I felt the grip on my arm tighten. I tilted my head towards the staircase.

"Let's check upstairs," I said. She stopped me and looked around the living room.

"Look at these. This is that mayor's house," she said, holding a picture frame. "Or candidate. You know what I'm talking about."

"So guess our idea was right. Be careful, don't go too far," I said, looking at the picture. It showed the man I had seen on the news since I moved here with a woman and two small kids. "I wonder what made him snap."

"No idea and I've heard non-stop positive things for months," Camille said, crossing her arms. She sighed and I grabbed her arm. We continued moving towards the stairs. I heard noises I couldn't describe. Was it more of those shadowy creatures? They hadn't attacked us; Were our Personas scaring them away?

The upstairs had a few bedrooms with closed doors. The final door in the hallway was opened but not to a regular room. Instead it was a distorted view of a brighter room. We stepped closer and I peered into the room.

"How long has it been…" a man said. After a few seconds, I saw a man in a clean suit, stained with blood, on his knees. He grasped his head and shook violently. He turned towards me. "Y-You!..."

"What's going on?" I asked. Camille's back pressed against mine as she kept watch. I looked around and saw bodies around his knees. I bit my lip as he walked towards me slowly, holding his side and trying to hide his pained look. "What is this place?"

He slammed his hands against the apparent glass portal; I moved back and held my hands up. "Don't scare us. We're trying to help."

"You can't help. He'll take you away; he'll take all you love away," he said, falling to his knees. I stepped back and focused on my right arm. Bright, golden feathers made a sharp javelin around my arm while I pulled my arm back.

"Stand back," I said, slamming my arm forward. It shattered the barrier as the man moved backwards, staring at me like I was a monster. Camille grabbed my arm.

"Monsters," Camille said, standing beside me. Her hair was blowing as a light surrounded her. "Grab him and lets go."

"No!" he shouted when I stretched my hand out. "This'll… this'll become real. I- I can't."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, kneeling down.

"The man. If I leave, he'll make this real… my family will-" he stammered. He grabbed his head and fell to the ground.

"This isn't reality. We can fix whatever's going on," I said. I stepped forward and the man yelled at me to stay away. The back of his suit began to tear and he began to grow. Camille grabbed my arm.

"Let's go, this can't be good," she said. I shook my head and looked at her.

"No. We have to save him. Fight with me, we can do this," I said. She nodded instantly and stood beside me. The man grew in size; his arms swelled up and his suit was stained in multiple red stains. He stepped forward and I extended my hand forward. "This doesn't make sense to me yet… but right now, we need to knock this guy out. Nemhain, lend me your power!"

The now monster finally stood up. His eyes glowed yellow and he flashed a distorted grin at me. It resembled the man who I recognized but more muscular and angry. He lunged forward and I reactively did the same, summoning the light javelin around my right arm. His two arms clashed with my weapon; I closed my eyes for a second as a black substance flew towards me. I broke out of his swing and slashed at him before leaping backwards to make some distance.

He charged at me again and I quickly dodged his tackle. He seemed focused on me and Camille focused, summoning her Persona. A gust of wind struck the man, knocking him down for a second. I moved forward and struck him with another javelin. It went cleanly through his back and, as I moved away, it remained sticking out of him. His breathing seemed strained and he slowly turned, holding something in his hand.

"Neither of you should have come here. I'm just a man trying to save his family," he began. He pointed a gun towards me. "I won't let anyone get in the way of that."

"You can't stop us. We're here to make things right," Camille said. He snarled and swung his arm. His finger twitched and I moved in front of her. The loud bang came from the gun and I swung my arm, creating a decent size shield of golden feathers. The bullet bounced off and I saw two knives shoot towards the man from behind me. Once they connect, I turned to see Camille smirking and gripping a pair of strings. She pulled her arm back with force and the daggers returned to her.

"You'll regret that!" he said, shooting the rest of the clip towards us. Each bullet was tougher on my concentration and the final one shattered the shield. I caught my breath quickly as the man swung his arm at me. He grabbed my shirt and lifted me off the ground.

"Hold on," Camille yelled, running forward. She pushed against him but he remained unphased. His arm tightened as he swung a punch at my stomach. I tried kicking his chest but he continued attacking me. It felt like several minutes until a gust of wind struck him. She walked beside me. "Sorry… I'm kinda getting worn out."

"Don't worry. Guess running was a good call," I said. I got up and stood beside her. "Let's attack together. If this fails…"

"It won't, we'll be alright. Focus," she said. Her left arm went forward and I did the same with my right hand.

The man rushed us again. I stared at our hands as we summoned our Personas; I put my fingers between hers. A white wind surrounded the man as he charged. He fell to his feet and his body began to return to normal. She pulled her hand away quickly and glared at me. I moved beside the man.

"Is he alright?" Camille asked me. I nodded after seeing he was breathing. I shook him until he slowly sat up, grabbing his head. "Don't try anything."

"What happened? I'm still here, huh?" he asked, looking around. I looked with him.

"What is here? Tell us," I asked, kneeling down across from him.

"I was brought here. I was sealed in this room to go insane. I was given a gun and vivid thoughts of my family-" he began. When he stopped, I said I understood and continue elsewhere. "I don't know what's been happening. This isn't the real world, I know that much. They just left me here to drown in my darkest thoughts."

I began explaining what had been happening. As I spoke, eventually during the broadcasted suicide attempt at his home, he shuddered at the mere thoughts. I asked why someone would want to do this to him. He shook his head.

"I just wanted to help. Corruption is slowly going to destroy our town if we don't change," he said. He slowly began standing up and I helped him up. "Please take me back. I don't know what will happen but I can't stay here. If he comes back, I-ll…"

Helping the man walk, Camille led the way. Once we exited the house, a few scattered creatures stared at us. As we made our way through, she casted a few spells to keep them away. I sat the man in the passenger seat and quickly jumped into the front seat beside Camille. I placed my hand on the hand break, turned the steering wheel quickly, made a sharp u-turn and floored the gas pedal.

* * *

It began feeling like only a few minutes now. I guess we were getting used to it by now. As we slowed down, I sighed.

"What's wrong?" Camille asked me.

"Just picturing the lecture I'll get if I wreck this car," I said. I turned around. "Everyone's exhausted. He's knocked out."

"What should we do?" she asked. I drove forward down the next street. "Just leave him by his house?"

"I… Guess? I don't want to be more involved in this," I said, getting out. I dragged the man onto the sidewalk. Camille stared at me.

"I suppose you're right… still feels wrong," she said, as I got back in.

"I don't want to explain anything. I'd rather not be branded as insane in my first week here," I said. She chuckled.

"Too late."


End file.
